


Near me

by MadamRed



Series: Writing Prompts (Tumblr) [4]
Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Nightmares
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-20
Updated: 2016-05-20
Packaged: 2018-06-09 13:15:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,105
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6908683
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MadamRed/pseuds/MadamRed
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Writing prompt requested on Tumblr: “Just this once, okay?” (Version 2.0)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Near me

You were trying, _really_ trying, to fall asleep, but whoever was in the room on top of yours was pacing around and making _way_ too much noise for you to finally rest after such a horrible day. It was almost two in the morning and you were cranky. The team was out of state and had to stay in a crappy motel, unfortunately, just outside of the city of Missoula, Montana. Exhaustion usually took over and won against your brain’s complaints about the hygienic integrity of some of the places you had to sleep in –especially with someone like Reid around, who just kept throwing fact after fact at you about the bacteria that have been found in such establishments. A shiver went down your spine just thinking about it.

You were finally drifting off when a sudden knock on your door woke you up. You cursed internally, thinking it was your boss telling you there had been another victim and that he needed you on the scene, but you were extremely surprised when you saw Reid standing there in his pyjamas and glasses.

‘Reid? What happened?’ despite your initial confusion, you stepped aside to allow him access into your tiny room.

‘I-I can’t sleep, (Y/L/N).’

‘What else is new?’ you murmured as you repositioned yourself under the covers but propped yourself against the pillows instead of lying down.

‘Well, there’s been a new theory on the nature of procrastination that’s really interesting. Experts claim that-’

You raised your right hand, and he closed his mouth immediately. You patted the space next to you with the same hand, and he sat down on top of the duvet.

‘Do you wanna talk about it?’ you asked him after a few minutes of being in complete silence and darkness, except for the faint light provided by the bedside lamps on each side of the bed.

‘The theory on the nature of procrastination? I thought you weren’t inter-’

‘The nightmare, Reid,’ you had to interrupt him, otherwise he’d avoid the subject altogether.

‘W-What?’ he pushed his glasses up his nose, but you didn’t miss his hands shaking or the waver in his voice.

‘You wouldn’t have come here if you hadn’t been woken up by something horrible created by your own brain. I mean, first, if you had felt safe or comfortable in your room, you would have stayed there and tried to work on the case. Two, even though the lighting here isn’t great and your glasses are casting shadows on your eyes, I can still see that they’re kind of red, so that means you woke up crying. Finally, because of the glasses, I’d say you left your room in a hurry to come find me, and _that_ makes me think that the nightmare involved my getting hurt in some way and you needed to come check on me.’

‘I thought we said no profiling each other,’ his eyes were focused on his wriggling hands on top of his lap. You took one of them and started drawing circles on it with your thumb.

‘I’m sorry, Reid, but I knew you’d never admit what was wrong if I didn’t. I apologise if that made you uncomfortable.’

‘I-It didn’t, it’s just...,’ that’s when you heard the first of many sniffs. Despite the fact that he was taller than you, you still wrapped your arm around his shoulders; it was kind of awkward, but you hoped it helped. ‘It was awful, (Y/F/N). I dreamed a man caught you and held you hostage for several days, and we had a live feed and we could see you being tortured and... and...,’ his voice broke and he was unable to go on due to his renewed frightened state.

‘Shhh, it’s okay. I’m here and I’m safe. We’re _both_ safe,’ the dream sounded quite similar to when he was kidnapped, according to what you had heard from JJ and the rest. You hadn’t been around at the time, since you joined the team after Seaver left, but you asked JJ after you saw Reid’s marks on the inside of his elbow once.

‘I’m sorry, (Y/n),’ it was second time he used your name. It sounded... _nice_ , to say the least. _Not the time, not the time, not the time_ , you scolded yourself. He lifted himself from your embrace and looked at you in the eye as he continued. ‘Would it... would it be alright if I slept with you tonight?’

You raised your eyebrows at him and looked at him with big, wild eyes. You knew what he really meant, but you wanted to tease him a little.

‘Why are you looking at me like that? I didn’t say anyth-,’ realisation dawned on him, and he got as red as a tomato. ‘No! No! I didn’t mean it like that!’

You burst out laughing, and the sound of someone punching the wall on the room next door only made you giggle more, albeit not as loud as your previous laughter.

‘Sorry, couldn’t fight it,’ you said as you wiped away the few tears that had escaped your eyes. Reid’s... no, _Spencer’s_ face was still serious, though not so red anymore.

‘Would it?’ your brain had momentarily forgotten about his question. ‘Just this once, okay? I promise. I just... need to know that you’re safe and... near... me,’ he admitted with a pink blush dusting his cheeks once more.

You just smiled softly at him and rearranged the pillows on both sides so that you could lie down again. When he didn’t move, you took the glasses off his face, put them on your bedside table and pushed him gently until he got the hint. He mirrored your position and now he was facing you. Once he was under the covers, you reached for the switch and turned off the lamps on the sides.

Thanks to the moon’s light shining through the cheap curtains, you could easily make out his face in the dark and noticed that he was looking at you. There was certain... softness in his features as he stared at you that drew you in; without you realising that your body was moving at first, you buried your face in his chest and he wrapped his arms around you protectively. You both stayed glued together throughout the night and slept soundly, meaning that neither of you heard your alarm go off, nor JJ knocking several times on your door... or even the door being opened.

Let’s just say there were a few snapshots of that sweet moment, but that’s a story for another day.


End file.
